Batteries Included

摘要

From the moment Explorer 1 reached orbit a half a century ago, its days were numbered. The problem? Primitive, non-rechargeable mercury batteries. The high-powered transmitter aboard America's first satellite quit working after 12 days; the low-powered transmitter lasted for two and a half months. But that was enough for Explorer's Geiger counter to make a key discovery: the Van Allen radiation belts around Earth.